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Monday, February 3, 2014

Review: Wet n Wild Fergie Vicious Varnish High Shine Lipstain Collection

As promised, I'm continuing my series of reviews of all of the new-for-2014 Wet n Wild and Fergie products, and today I'd like to show you the Fergie Vicious Varnish High Shine Lipstains. These are now available for purchase at Walgreens and they are permanent, not limited edition. I received all ten shades for review a while back, and now that I've had some time to test them, here are my thoughts.

NEW Wet n Wild Fergie Vicious Varnish High Shine Lipstain Collection
(retail: $3.49 each, 0.17 oz) 



The lid has the little "F" insignia for Fergie:


And the shade name is printed on the bottom of each tube:



The applicator is one of those spatula-like applicators that's flat and rounded. It has a lot of give to it, meaning it bends very easily during application. For me, this means you get less control than a traditional doe-foot applicator (more on that in a bit).


Swatches in numerical order:

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Left to right:
A301 Voguing Madness, A302 Flawless, A303 Street Queen, A304 Giving Realness, A305 Legendary Face

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Left to right:
A306 Global Fierceness, A307 Ball in Vienna, A308 Runway Red, A309 Epic, A310 Throwing Shade

All of the shades in this range are cremes (no shimmer or glitter). My favorite of the ten:

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A306 Global Fierceness

What I love about this shade in particular is that it's not quite red, but it's not rose or fuchsia either. It's like a dusty rose-ish, mauvish red, if that make sense. It's a wonderful color for when red might be too bold, but you still want something deeper than a nude or pinky-brown. I adore this color.

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To give you an idea about the staining power of these lipstains, here's what my arm looked like after using three makeup wipes to try and remove these swatches:

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Texture and consistency: These are what I wanted the Megalast Liquid Lip Colors to be. Personally, I found the Megalast Liquid Lip Colors to be drying in that long-wear lip color type of way. I didn't like the way those felt on my lips so I'm thrilled to report that these do NOT feel the same way. At first, the Vicious Varnishes feel like you're applying a traditional long-wear liquid lip color (think CoverGirl Outlast All Day Lip Colors), but you don't need a clear balm after applying these, because they don't become dry or cakey, and they don't suck all the moisture from your lips in the same way that traditional long-wear lip colors tend to do. But the texture is not light-as-air or gloss-like. It's heavier than a gloss or traditional liquid lipstick, but there's a slickness and a cushiony feeling to them. The consistency is thin like a liquid lipstick, and a bit runny. 

Application: Due to the applicator (see my description earlier in this post), it's not easy to master application, but it's doable. Since the applicator bends, you don't have as much control with these, and since they are wildly pigmented and also a bit thin and runny, it's quite easy to make a mistake during application, especially if you're in a hurry. My best advice is to wipe down the brush a bit, take your time, and build in thin layers. The payoff is worth it.

Pigmentation: Quite simply, these are crazy-pigmented. The pigmentation of my swatches definitely translates to the lips, especially for the medium and deeper shades (the lighter shades are nicely pigmented as well, but not quite as pigmented as the deeper shades). I would certainly call these lip colors full-coverage, and if you don't get full-coverage on the first application, I'm willing to bet you will on the second pass.

Staying power: On average, I can get 6-7 hours of wear with the medium and deeper shades in this range, and about 3-4 hours for the lightest shades in the range. Of course if I eat tacos or something like that, they're not going to last the full 6-7 hours, but they can take me through a full work day when I'm having a light salad for lunch, no problem. What I REALLY love about these is that, in addition to the color, the SHINE sticks around for a long time as well. Usually shine is the first thing to go when it comes to me and lip color, so this is kind of a dream-come-true. Oh, and as you can see in my swatches above, these definitely stain the lips as they wear down, and that stain lasts for several hours. 

Flavor and fragrance: This is where I might lose some of you. These lip colors have that strong plastic scent and taste that you get with most traditional long-wear liquid lip colors. I'm not going to lie--I dislike the flavor and the fragrance, but the good news is that both the flavor and fragrance fade quickly. If you can get past that initial burst of "plastic" and wait it out a few minutes, you should be fine.

One more thing: I've noticed that the texture and staying power of these can vary a little bit from shade to shade. So if you tried one shade and found that the texture and/or staying power was lacking, I would suggest exchanging it at Walgreens (they accept returns/exchanges on used products) for a different shade. You might find that another shade performs much better for you, and I think these are worth the extra effort.

FINAL VERDICT: If you love the idea of long-wear liquid lip colors but you hate the heavy, cakey, drying feeling that comes along with them, these are for you. The Fergie Vicious Varnish Lipstains are big on color and shine, and both the color and shine can take me through a full work day. These do not dry out my lips and they feel quite slick and cushiony for the entire time I'm wearing them. Granted, they're not perfect. I wish the applicator offered more control during application but, if you follow my tips above, I think you might be very pleased with some of these shades. It just takes a little time and patience to figure them out and, for $3.49 a pop, I think they're definitely worth it.

Have you tried any of the new Fergie Vicious Varnishes yet? Do you agree with my assessment? I would love to hear from you!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.Blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews. For more information, click here.
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51 comments

  1. I'm not super excited by the colors, but the formula sounds pretty good. How do they compare to the L'Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain (which I love)?

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    1. I wish I could tell you! I still haven't tried those beside I won't buy them in-store due to the lack of safety seals. And I just haven't gotten around to buying any online yet. Sorry!

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  2. I absolutely love that color on you! I am so hitting up Walgreen's for a few of these, was waiting for your review before snatching the up. Thanks, G!!

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm seriously addicted to that color. I would absolutely love to know what you think when you try one. Please keep me posted! :)

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  3. Haven't seen these yet in stores, but will have to give them a try!

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    1. I hope you find them soon! And I'd love to know what you think when you do! :)

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  4. Have you tried the wet n wild mega slicks? I'd love to see a review on those.

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    1. If you mean the Balm Stains yes! I'll be reviewing them soon. :)

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    2. Just bought a Balm Stain and LOVE! Doesn't bleed, it's moisturizing and the color stays after the balminess is gone.

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  5. Legendary Face looks amazing! Do you know if these will also be at CVS?

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  6. I picked up one of the cherry reds and I LOVE it!!

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  7. I also love the A306 Global Fierceness color! Do you / anyone know a good equivalent of it in (matte) lipstick form?

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    1. Hum... I can't think of one at the moment that hasn't been discontinued but I'll keep thinking!

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  8. Thank you so much for the review! I was on the fence about these. I didn't want another liquid lipstick fiasco. I promise to lurk less and comment more :^)

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    1. You are so welcome! I'd love to know what you think if you try one, and YAY for delurking!!! :)

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  9. There are some pretty colors in the collection, especially Legendary Face. I've just never warmed to glosses, though. But with a sale or coupon (I think some of the new Fergie stuff has coupons at Wags) I might give it a try.

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    1. They don't feel or behave like glosses so I'm thinking you might like them!

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  10. Great review! You give a lot of detail & I like that. For the price these look great. I like that there isn't any glitter. Thanks!

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  11. Hey I picked them up in store at walgreens and they have a good safty seal. It is full tube celo with a sticker on top to boot.

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    1. Are you referring to my comment above about the L'Oreal lip stains? I know that the WnW ones have a full safety seal (it's pictured above in my pics) but like I said, the L'Oreal ones don't have any type of seal. If you've seen safety seals on the L'Oreal lip colors in your area I would LOVE to know. Thanks!

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  12. These did not work for me. I had a weird clumping/pooling of color around 2 hours and after 4 the stain was gone. I found the shine didnt last long. I agree the brush is too flexible too.

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    1. I've seen a few reviews about this and I think it's only a few shades that so that? I didn't personally experience that issue, but maybe try another color? Many of these wear for several hours on me. Hope that helps!

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    2. I bought 2 of these including Global Fierceness. I haven't tried the other shade but I can't agree with you on it because I get the weird sticky buildup soon after application. I thought I put too much on but even when I applied less it still "balls up." I normally agree with your opinions so I'm sad this isn't working for me :-(

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  13. Replies
    1. Yep! I mentioned that at the top of the review. :)

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  14. Great swatches! How do these compare to the Maybelline SuperStay 10hr stain glosses?

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    1. The WnW have a thicker formula, better pigmentation, shinier and I longer staying power for me.

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  15. I'm not one who usually is sensitive to smell/taste.. but these both smell and taste pretty much exactly like window cleaner to me. It was very nasty, unwearable. I wore it for over an hour and not only could I still smell it, every time my tongue got near my lips it was in my mouth, I had to remove it. I was quite sad about it because otherwise it was very nice, and there were some beautiful colors.

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    1. I don't like the flavor or fragrance either, but they both faded within minutes for me. I'm so sorry they stuck around for you. :(

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  16. I bought Throwing Shade for the name but I actually really liked it! I only had to re-apply after lunch and it stayed shiny all day. I'm definitely going back to get a few more!

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    1. Yay! Isn't it crazy how long they stay shiny??

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    2. Not sure if you noticed but all the names, with the exception of Epic, seem to be inspired by drag queens/drag balls/Paris Is Burning. Throwing Shade and Giving Realness are the most obvious ones.

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  17. Great review! I just picked up three of these over the weekend and I'm shocked at how much I love them. Those $1 off coupons at the display are just encouraging me to go back and get some more!

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  18. I love that the shine is lasting on these! Because seriously that is always the part to go first.

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  19. Street Queen and Throwing Shade are calling my name

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  20. I love these - I got five initially, and I just bought Global Fierceness since you love it so much, yay!

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  21. I am looking all over to find these but I simply haven't found them at any drugstores near me! It is so frustrating :(

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  22. Just bought this in "Epic"... can't wait to try it :)

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  23. I bought Global Fierceness because you recommended it, G. I LOVE it. I don't use WnW, but this is just a beautiful, comfortable shade. I will be going back for more.

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  24. Was liking them until I hit the part about the plasticky taste/smell =( Another potential love match thwarted by a finicky nose... sighhhhhh

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  25. WnW Fergies Vicious Varnish High Shine Lipstain in Runway Red is a must-have for me! I can't wait to add it to my make-up drawer.

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  26. I had to give these a shot today, even though I have read many varying reviews. I picked up Throwing Shade and Legendary Face at my local Walgreens. Strangely, Legendary Face had a scent much like paint, and Throwing Shade had little to no scent. I put on LF at work just to try it, knowing I could wipe it off immediately, and as soon as I put it on the scent changed to a light fruity scent. The formula is fantastic, the applicator is nice and soft and I can control it easily on my lips. The formula feels like cool water when applied, it is soft and very thin, but once it is on, it feels slightly thick. This gloss is different in a good way, I think everyone should try it.

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  27. I tried one of these, and really liked the formula, but the shade was way too bright. I was so excited reading your review, as I LOVE the color "Global Fierceness" on you. I couldn't wait to go out and get that one, until I realized that it's the one I have! Too funny! We have similar skin tones, but I think maybe my lips are just less pigmented and the shade looks too much on me. I'm still planning on trying out some other shades, because I like the glossiness, and I really appreciate the fact that it doesn't stain fuchsia (most lip stain products do, for some reason), but instead just a muted version of the actual color. The shine faded, but the color lasted through a full 3 course meal, and a few glasses of wine on me the other night, so that's definitely a win!
    Thanks for the review!

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  28. How do you apply it? I have a problem with mine rubbing off on things

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  29. I just bought Ball in Vienna and I think it's outstanding. I applied it carefully at 6:30 a.m. morning and actually gave it a quick blot on a tissue because I went really heavy-handed with it, and it is now 6 p.m. - 12 hours later - and I JUST had the need to reapply. I ate a wrap for lunch and it didn't budge, and anyone who regularly wears bold/bright lip colors knows how hard it is to eat something like a wrap without the color getting all over your chin. So impressed and will be purchasing more.

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  30. I read your review and had to go off and buy one. I gotta say I am kinda in love. I'm debating on trying all the shades just because I love how comfortable and long wearing they are. You're right, the application is tricky but once you get the gist it's fine. As far as the smell, I bought ball in Vienna and I frankly didn't smell a thing. Total love match for me, g. Thank you for introducing me to a new love. You're always so reliable and I can never go wrong with your reviews. You're the best (:

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  31. I was wanting something, G., just a little splurge and bought Legendary Face since it was on sale at Walgreens this week. I'm really impressed with the formula. It's a pretty color that lasts and holds shine well. I liked it so much I revisited this review and decided I wanted Legendary Face. That's another one I really am loving, as it's a lovely color and leaves a gorgeous stain behind. (I also bought Voguing Madness, which I like a lot, but the other two I definitely prefer.)

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